RTÉ is being urged to publish details of all exit deals for senior executives since 2016.
Amid mounting pressure on the broadcaster to make their exit packages public, Mayo TD Alan Dillon has joined calls for Director General Kevin Bakhurst to be more transparent.
The Fine Gael politician, who sits on both the Oireachtas Media Committee and the Dáil Public Accounts Committee, slammed the broadcaster for “drip feeding” them information.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, he said: “RTÉ needs to realise that this issue is certainly not going to go away until all details are published.
“The station has dragged its heels throughout 2023 in relation to the drip feed of information, and its future credibility is at stake.”
Mr Bakhurst and Chair of the RTÉ Board Siún Ní Raghallaigh met with Minister for Media Catherine Martin today.
Speaking after their meeting this morning, the Director General said he will not resign over the backlash against the exit packages, as he stands over “entirely what I have done.”
Bakhurst also said they expect to have new legal advice “in the next couple of days” regarding publishing details of exit packages, but added that they have to “respect the law.”
The meeting came after a report over the weekend claimed that RTÉ’s former director of strategy Rory Coveney was paid what appears to have been a year’s salary when he left the organisation last July.
Mr Bakhurst subsequently released a statement addressing the exit packages offered to former executives.
He said: “As I have stated already, RTÉ has previously received legal advice that it is restricted from providing details regarding the departures of individuals from RTÉ. This advice was shared with both the PAC and the JOC.
“However, in the interests of transparency, I can clarify matters with regard to the exits of the four executives who departed RTÉ after I started as Director-General, and I am doing so with their agreement.
“Geraldine O’Leary retired from RTÉ, and her role as Director of Commercial, and did not receive an exit payment. Paula Mullooly decided to leave RTÉ, and her role as Director of Legal Affairs, to pursue another opportunity and did not receive an exit payment.”
“Rory Coveney and I agreed that it was best that he stand down from his role as Director of Strategy. This enabled the beginning of the restructuring of the leadership team and the suppression of his role.”
“Responsibility for Strategy has passed to Adrian Lynch, with no additional compensation, in addition to his substantive role as Director of Audience, Channels and Marketing. Rory’s role became redundant, an exit payment was offered by RTÉ and accepted by Rory, and with no backfill being made RTÉ will recoup that payment by July of this year.
“Following independent mediation, Richard Collins, RTÉ’s former Chief Financial Officer, departed RTÉ by mutual agreement, with a binding confidentiality clause that was agreed to by both sides and in the interest of fairness and respect cannot be breached
“As I have said before, in relation to all the exits, I have sought an update to the legal advice previously received,” he added.
